Google Maps app shows up in iTunes Store

Many users complained that Apple's new proprietary app is no good.

UPDATE: As of this posting, many users have been able to successfully download Google Maps, but some are given a notice that the app is temporarily unavailable.

Apple approved a Google Maps app for download from the iTunes store late Thursday night, finally giving users an alternative to Apple's own in-house maps app. Apple's maps has been a point of contention since September, when the company kicked the Google-supported digital atlas off its platform. When users finally got their hands on Apple's version of maps, users found it to be sub-par.

The public outcry from the casual transit user and the directionally challenged alike were so loud that Tim Cook publicly apologized for the app saying, “We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.” Cook suggested users download apps like Bing, Mapquest, and Waze.

In late November, Apple fired Richard Williamson, product manager for Apple's Maps. The lack of transit directions and inaccurate search results drove many heavy users who were used to Google's accuracy to frustration.

For now, iPhone and iPad users who are fans of Google Maps can breathe a sign of relief, but conceding to vend a Google Maps app could be seen as a blow to Apple, which has been planning to unseat Google's app for a while now, possibly even since 2009.

Promoted Comments

Maybe in the end this is the best result for users. This new app is spectacular. Great transit directions with an immensily useful trip summary card at the bottom, restaurant reviews, voice directions for iPhone 4 users, and street view. Updatable by Google when they see fit, and a target for Apple to aim for.

Apple's is improving. Google's is already very good. Victorian police have warnings about both!

Even better: Google now has control of their entire selection of applications. They can release updates as they see fit, as opposed to the YouTube and previous Maps applications that were never significantly updated since iOS 1.0.

Google Maps can breathe a sign of relief, but conceding to vend a Google Maps app could be seen as a blow to Apple, which has been planning to unseat Google's app for a while now, possibly even since 2009.

No. This is not a blow to Apple. Google is doing exactly what Apple wanted. Google did not give Apple the option to offer turn by turn GPS directions in the old iOS maps program.

The new Google maps has GPS turn by turn directions. It is on par with the Android maps program which is what Apple always wanted.

Just to note: while you can download the app on an iPad, it appears to be made only for iPhone. Means you'll have to run it in a non-native resolution. Still works fine, just not as nice as it could be.

Downloaded it. Seems slow and not as fluid as Apple Maps or Waze. The interface is pretty minimal as well. But we have transit directions now...guess that makes up for something!

EDIT: Scratch that. Apparently Boise, ID will not have transit information available until our bus system finishes their data input. Le sigh. Basically this app is useless then since I have Waze and Apple Maps plus SYNC Destinations for my car.

No. This is not a blow to Apple. Google is doing exactly what Apple wanted. Google did not give Apple the option to offer turn by turn GPS directions in the old iOS maps program.

The new Google maps has GPS turn by turn directions. It is on par with the Android maps program which is what Apple always wanted.

Yeah, I'm sure Apple wanted to release an app so bad that it generated tons of bad press, caused Apple to fire several people high up, and encouraged users to download a 3rd party app over Apple's offering

No. This is not a blow to Apple. Google is doing exactly what Apple wanted. Google did not give Apple the option to offer turn by turn GPS directions in the old iOS maps program.

The new Google maps has GPS turn by turn directions. It is on par with the Android maps program which is what Apple always wanted.

Yeah, I'm sure Apple wanted to release an app so bad that it generated tons of bad press, caused Apple to fire several people high up, and encouraged users to download a 3rd party app over Apple's offering

Obviously not a perfect execution, but in 3 months nobody will remember mapsgate (not counting the occasional forumite that nobody cares about anyways ... but they will have working turn by turn navigation from a multitude of sources, including their first-party app.

Users opting to use a third party app doesn't hurt Apple. It actually benefits them if it's a non-free app (otherwise it's a wash).

Google Maps can breathe a sign of relief, but conceding to vend a Google Maps app could be seen as a blow to Apple, which has been planning to unseat Google's app for a while now, possibly even since 2009.

No. This is not a blow to Apple. Google is doing exactly what Apple wanted. Google did not give Apple the option to offer turn by turn GPS directions in the old iOS maps program.

The new Google maps has GPS turn by turn directions. It is on par with the Android maps program which is what Apple always wanted.

Are you telling me after spending billions of dollars to acquire and develop its own map apps then getting bad PR everywhere on how crappy the new map app is just to make Google look bad? That's very naive thinking.

While nobody knows exactly what happened behind closed doors between Apple and Google, but for Google to release its own iOS map app is a win-win for them, more ad revenues from iOS users, more exposure to Android eco system, and make Apple map app looks like a joke. It's a win for Google

Too bad the Google search app still opens web maps. I'm sure this can be rectified in an update with a clever URL scheme. I'd like to see Chrome on iOS have the option to open maps in Google Maps this way too.

For the record, I still really like Apple Maps. It works great for me in Calgary.

I've installed it and given it a quick test. It knew exactly where I live (note: my block is BIG and is sub-divided. Google got the right subdivision - which is a first!!!). It also displays all POIs near me in exactly the right spot. So far (with a limited sample), it's spot on.

From my perception, it's at least as slick as Apple maps. It looks elegant and runs very fast. However, I will still use TomTom for now, as I enjoy the speed (revenue) camera warnings.

This is great news for all IOS users - we have some serious competition, which is good for all of us.

Very, very nice. SIri integration would be icing on the cake but it tastes pretty damn good already. Map data is obviously great, the gyroscope-Street View thing is a "wow" factor, us car-free folk finally have our coveted transit data, turn-by-turn directions work as they do on Android, and bitmap tiles are history.

Feels kinda stuttery on an iPhone 4. Anyone else seeing that? I've got nothing else running, and it's still drops frames (especially with that right side tray for the other maps).

Yeah, it's not completely smooth on my 4 either. I haven't really had a problem with Apple's maps, but the lack of turn by turn is really a downer. I might use Apple Maps for the majority of stuff, then switch to Google's Maps app for turn-by-turn.

Seems I've just learned a very expensive lesson. I bought an iPad Mini last week, figuring that Google Maps would be out soon enough. Now that's in the App Store I find out that it's iPhone-only. Of course it will run on the iPad Mini, but looks awful. Google Maps is the app I needed most. Apple Maps is awful in San Francisco, particularly since it lacks transit directions.

Maybe in the end this is the best result for users. This new app is spectacular. Great transit directions with an immensily useful trip summary card at the bottom, restaurant reviews, voice directions for iPhone 4 users, and street view. Updatable by Google when they see fit, and a target for Apple to aim for.

Seems I've just learned a very expensive lesson. I bought an iPad Mini last week, figuring that Google Maps would be out soon enough. Now that's in the App Store I find out that it's iPhone-only. Of course it will run on the iPad Mini, but looks awful. Google Maps is the app I needed most. Apple Maps is awful in San Francisco, particularly since it lacks transit directions.

I'm pretty sure a retina iPad version is in the works, given that only 4G iPads can be used on the go without WiFi access. That'll automatically downscale for the Mini.

yup it's pretty stuttery on my 3GS, but the transit directions are spot on. However, there is no way to search by contacts in your iPhone address book -- you can only use google contacts. kinda sucks if you can't remember everybody's address and only use iCloud. hopefully there will be some more integration.

No. This is not a blow to Apple. Google is doing exactly what Apple wanted. Google did not give Apple the option to offer turn by turn GPS directions in the old iOS maps program.

The new Google maps has GPS turn by turn directions. It is on par with the Android maps program which is what Apple always wanted.

Yeah, I'm sure Apple wanted to release an app so bad that it generated tons of bad press, caused Apple to fire several people high up, and encouraged users to download a 3rd party app over Apple's offering

The article isn't about people getting fired or bad press. The title of the article is; "Google Maps app shows up in iTunes Store". My comment was about that Google app and that it delivered what Apple had wanted all along.

That Google Maps app has GPS turn by turn directions. And that is always what Apple wanted to be able to have on the iPhone using Google data.